Anna runs a male escort agency. But there is only one type of man she will hire.

When Anna Grosman, the founder of premium male escort service Her Confidant, speaks about her business, she chooses her words carefully. Not because she's worried about shocking or offending people, but because she'd like to change the way we talk — and think — about the industry.

Speaking to Mamamia's No Filter podcast, the Melbourne woman uses phrases like "integrity", "morals" and "wellbeing"; sadly novel concepts for a profession that dates back over 4,400 years.

Watch: On No Filter with Mia Freedman, Anna Grosman shares more about her male escort business. Post continues after video.

That novelty extends to the people she hires. Grosman refers to the men in her books as "gentlemen" or "companions"; she "can't stand" the word prostitute, and says even 'sex worker' feels too old school. But it's also more fitting because, despite commanding a premium fee (a minimum of $700 per hour for sexual experiences), these men are hired from outside the industry.

This was a decision Grosman made when she started her previous male escort business in 2012, and she's continued it with Her Confidant.

"I've never actually worked with a male companion who has worked as an escort," she says. "They're all from different walks of life, different professions, different industries. I've worked with doctors, lawyers, all sorts. And they must, must, must have a full-time job. [Escorting] is something they do part-time."

Grosman believes that professional male escorts "tend to have their set ways, and we have different ways of working, as women, knowing what women want." According to a blurb on the Her Confidant website, the distinction is "refined, respectful, genuinely good-hearted men who excel not only in the sensual arts but also in their professional careers."

A browse through the profiles on Her Confidant tells of well-travelled, theatre-going, yoga-practising men who quote Karl Lagerfeld and cite the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, as a source of inspiration.

"I choose [the men] because they're quite passionate, and they love every aspect of sex and every aspect of a woman," Grosman says. "They don't see age or size, they just see a human in front of them, and they just want to bring joy, happiness and pleasure to that person. And I think not many men are able to do that."

In fact, that's why Grosman, a former remedial massage therapist, opened an escort business in the first place.

"I was in my late 30s, and I had quite a few girlfriends who were single and divorced, and they found it really difficult to find a quality option when seeking intimacy without the commitment," she says.

"[Women] tell me that they're not interested in picking up duds… they're not trusting the apps, and they're not trusting the men that they're meeting at bars and clubs."

So where does Grosman find them, these (as her website puts it) "actually interesting" men? 

Mostly in her inbox. Grosman says she receives roughly five applications per day from men hoping to work for her business. If she likes the tone of their email, she sends them a questionnaire featuring more than 30 questions.

If they come back with one-word answers or crude simplifications — think "I like to f**k" — then Grosman counts them out. She looks for substance and strong communication skills.

Listen to No Filter where Mia Freedman asks every question you'd want to ask the Melbourne-based mother of two and staunch advocate for women's sensual empowerment. Post continues after audio.

The next step is an informal interview with Grosman over coffee, then a simulated booking with one of her "trialers" — a diverse team of women aged in their 30s, 40s and 50s, who test the men's various skills and report back to her.

"I want to see how he greets her, how he meets her," Grosman says. "They'll have a drink downstairs in the [hotel] bar for about 15-20 minutes, and I want to see how the conversation goes, whether he makes her feel at ease, whether he asks the right questions… It needs to be about the woman. And then they go upstairs to the room. There'll be a playlist of music that she enjoys, just to break the ice. And then they'll move into a lovely massage to relax and unwind, and then into intimacy.

"I will speak to the trialer after the two hours. She'll call me while she's driving home and let me know whether it's a yes or no."

The men also undergo mandatory police checks, and regular blood and STI screenings. Safety, Grosman says, is her number one priority. 

"Everyone says it's such a dim, dirty, seedy service industry. And yes, absolutely, there are agencies and brothels like that. But our intention was never to run that way, because we have morals," she continues.

"I'm trying to re-educate people's perception of what it can be. It's a legitimate business…that has integrity, values and standards, trust, and transparency. And it's nothing more than that."

Feature image: Instagram @annagrosman.